Backup 4/5 solution: Emmanuel Mudiay?

[infection]

Okay, so the thread title is a bit misleading. But most teams have gone small, and even if they haven't, many of us have been saying what a defensive liability the backup 5 is and will be now and especially come playoff time. We're starting to run Morgan out there, which is great and I hope it continues, and even Royce playing Rudy's role on defense. So that raises a few questions/observations. One is that Royce has been struggling more lately on quicker guards on the perimeter. In some backup lineups, does it make sense to move him up playing the 4/5 while we open up time for Mudiay? Moving Royce up even as a small-ball 5 really opens up our minutes to clear out the guard log-jam and allows us to replace more of Niang's minutes with Mudiay. Mudiay already is a better rebounder, grabbing more per minute and posting a higher rebounding %, which I would honesty expect to go up just by vacuum effect if he were out there as the 3/4 sometimes. His defense is better than Niang and he's a lot stronger. His ability to iso may be more valuable come playoff time.

Overall, I think this can improve defense and have more well-rounded play the more we integrate Mudiay/Morgan and minimize others. This doesn't work against LA. I'm still very much in favor of signing Udoh, but this is a good option using what we have. If we did sign Udoh, then FTW make Mudiay our backup 3/4 and have to take Niang out of rotation.

 

[416Klawzz]

Okay, so the thread title is a bit misleading. But most teams have gone small, and even if they haven't, many of us have been saying what a defensive liability the backup 5 is and will be now and especially come playoff time. We're starting to run Morgan out there, which is great and I hope it continues, and even Royce playing Rudy's role on defense. So that raises a few questions/observations. One is that Royce has been struggling more lately on quicker guards on the perimeter. In some backup lineups, does it make sense to move him up playing the 4/5 while we open up time for Mudiay? Moving Royce up even as a small-ball 5 really opens up our minutes to clear out the guard log-jam and allows us to replace more of Niang's minutes with Mudiay. Mudiay already is a better rebounder, grabbing more per minute and posting a higher rebounding %, which I would honesty expect to go up just by vacuum effect if he were out there as the 3/4 sometimes. His defense is better than Niang and he's a lot stronger. His ability to iso may be more valuable come playoff time.

Overall, I think this can improve defense and have more well-rounded play the more we integrate Mudiay/Morgan and minimize others. This doesn't work against LA. I'm still very much in favor of signing Udoh, but this is a good option using what we have. If we did sign Udoh, then FTW make Mudiay our backup 3/4 and have to take Niang out of rotation.

um let's just grab someone from the buyout market....

 

[candrew]

Royce had 3 blocks last night in a span of about 12 seconds.

Clearly he's the next Mark Eaton.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

If Mudiay was a better defender and shooter I could be down for this. Morgan is really the 5 in that alignment, not that it matters that much. I think Niang would provide more in the role than Mudiay because he's an elite shooter. The defensive upgrade I don't think is as meaningful. I would have liked to see us land a wing with a little more size like GR3 to use in that type of alignment.

I have felt Morgan is the answer at 5... still have questions at the 4... would like to see Brantley get a try, but would worry he would try to do too much. Not sure what the answer is at Niang's spot, might just be Niang until something is obvious. I think you can also whittle his minutes down with Royce, Bojan, Joe getting more time at the 4.

 

[416Klawzz]

Royce had 3 blocks last night in a span of about 12 seconds.

Clearly he's the next Mark Eaton.

plus the headband

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

I wonder if Moe Harkless gets bought out... in theory I think he'd be good in the bench 4 role, but I'm pretty sure he's one of those guys you want on your team... then you get him and you are like "oh... that's why this guy always gets traded". Jeff Green is the king of these guys

 

[Jingled]

Royce had 3 blocks last night in a span of about 12 seconds.

Clearly he's the next Mark Eaton.

That was crazy. Coming into last nights game he only had 18 blocks the whole season. Then out of nowhere he turned into Dikembe Mutombo for a few minutes.

 

[UB]

Royce had 3 blocks last night in a span of about 12 seconds.

Clearly he's the next Mark Eaton.

Yes I think the answer is Headband Royce

 

[NAOS]

I’m still waiting for someone to explain to me why Royce played only 19 minutes yesterday. I’d love a justification for that.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

I’m still waiting for someone to explain to me why Royce played only 19 minutes yesterday. I’d love a justification for that.

Maybe he was jackpotting around in practice or something.

Not sure... I think we could use one more wing, but I think in the playoffs we can get Niang out of the rotation by ramping up other guys minutes a bit. Its not as big a problem as backup 5. Bradley should get zero minutes in these types of matchups.

If Morgan is good and is able to hold down the 5 it is a big deal for us. He could play alongside rudy if we needed to matchup with LA a bit... talking like 5 minutes a game maybe. He might have some positional versatility we desperately need.

 

[infection]

Maybe he was jackpotting around in practice or something.

Not sure... I think we could use one more wing, but I think in the playoffs we can get Niang out of the rotation by ramping up other guys minutes a bit. Its not as big a problem as backup 5. Bradley should get zero minutes in these types of matchups.

If Morgan is good and is able to hold down the 5 it is a big deal for us. He could play alongside rudy if we needed to matchup with LA a bit... talking like 5 minutes a game maybe. He might have some positional versatility we desperately need.

I know you say that Bradley shouldn't get any minutes in these matchups, and I agree, but it raises a bit of the assumption that perhaps he's somehow more playable against someone like LAL. I mean, maybe if he's covering Dwight, but what if it's AD out there are the big man? I'm afraid we'll go to that as the default just because of size.

We really need Ekpe.

 

[infection]

Watching March 1 (the deadline for signees to be playoff eligible) come and go is like watching someone get hit by those stupid skeleton turtles in a Super Mario castle, becoming small, having the mushroom drop from the sky, and instead they rush to the door to fight the koopa, rather than collecting the mushroom first.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

I know you say that Bradley shouldn't get any minutes in these matchups, and I agree, but it raises a bit of the assumption that perhaps he's somehow more playable against someone like LAL. I mean, maybe if he's covering Dwight, but what if it's AD out there are the big man? I'm afraid we'll go to that as the default just because of size.

We really need Ekpe.

Ha... you right. If Boban comes in then TB might be the guy

 

[NAOS]

I try to avoid strong condemnations of the FO and coaching staff (for no other reason than I just know so little in comparison to them), but I’ll go out in the record and say that if we don’t see some serious experimentation with Morgan and/or Brantley in REAL GAMES, then they’ll have played all of this way too conservatively. Case closed.

and sign Epke ffs.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

I try to avoid strong condemnations of the FO and coaching staff (for no other reason than I just know so little in comparison to them), but I’ll go out in the record and say that if we don’t see some serious experimentation with Morgan and/or Brantley in REAL GAMES, then they’ll have played all of this way too conservatively. Case closed.

and sign Epke ffs.

So I do think there are times when you can't see the forest because you are standing in the trees. I have a bunch of people that come to me with business stuff... I know very little about their industries... sometimes I ask a few questions or give a general direction they did not think about and it solves their issue. Its simple stuff and self diagnose... like talking it out loud but it works.

The other day my father in law had a few real estate deals in the air and asked my opinion on something... I know almost nothing about development. I asked a couple questions after talking through it and we came up with a pretty good solution.

So just because we aren't in practice and know everything doesn't mean you are wrong... sometimes the perspective is helpful. We are dumb AF but doesn't mean some of this stuff is wrong.

 

[NAOS]

So I do think there are times when you can't see the forest because you are standing in the trees. I have a bunch of people that come to me with business stuff... I know very little about their industries... sometimes I ask a few questions or give a general direction they did not think about and it solves their issue. Its simple stuff and self diagnose... like talking it out loud but it works.

The other day my father in law had a few real estate deals in the air and asked my opinion on something... I know almost nothing about development. I asked a couple questions after talking through it and we came up with a pretty good solution.

So just because we aren't in practice and know everything doesn't mean you are wrong... sometimes the perspective is helpful. We are dumb AF but doesn't mean some of this stuff is wrong.

For sure. And, like you, I’m sorta in the business of generating good questions—so I get it. Still... this business with Morgan and Brantley seems so ****ing obvious that I’m thrown off.

 

[infection]

So I do think there are times when you can't see the forest because you are standing in the trees. I have a bunch of people that come to me with business stuff... I know very little about their industries... sometimes I ask a few questions or give a general direction they did not think about and it solves their issue. Its simple stuff and self diagnose... like talking it out loud but it works.

The other day my father in law had a few real estate deals in the air and asked my opinion on something... I know almost nothing about development. I asked a couple questions after talking through it and we came up with a pretty good solution.

So just because we aren't in practice and know everything doesn't mean you are wrong... sometimes the perspective is helpful. We are dumb AF but doesn't mean some of this stuff is wrong.

GMs would out preform us in the aggregate. But I think people confuse these issues because they look at the micro and the macro as being the exact same thing, so you get lots of "you think you're smarter than the GM lololol" comments. I mean, I'm a professional at what I do. The knowledge gap between myself in my profession and the lay person is enormous. I wouldn't just out preform others if they did my job. They simply couldn't do my job. At all. However, that doesn't mean that any given individual can't out preform me on small, isolated decisions. It could happen. Not infrequently. That's what gets so lost on all this commentary. Because somebody is a GM means that all the micro stuff is infallible because the macro is good. It's like being able to win a possession vs. winning a game, and thinking they're the exact same thing. Hell, we criticize players all the time and their decisions, with very rare "they're professionals and you're an arm chair quarter back lolzers!!!1," yet somehow executives get this huge pass.

Rant over.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

GMs would out preform us in the aggregate. But I think people confuse these issues because they look at the micro and the macro as being the exact same thing, so you get lots of "you think you're smarter than the GM lololol" comments. I mean, I'm a professional at what I do. The knowledge gap between myself in my profession and the lay person is enormous. I wouldn't just out preform others if they did my job. They simply couldn't do my job. At all. However, that doesn't mean that any given individual can't out preform me on small, isolated decisions. It could happen. Not infrequently. That's what gets so lost on all this commentary. Because somebody is a GM means that all the micro stuff is infallible because the macro is good. It's like being able to win a possession vs. winning a game, and thinking they're the exact same thing. Hell, we criticize players all the time and their decisions, with very rare "they're professionals and you're an arm chair quarter back lolzers!!!1," yet somehow executives get this huge pass.

Rant over.

I have told people in Sacramento that I think I'd likely be a poor to average GM, but that I could out perform Vlade by just not ****ing up the huge things.

 

[gregbroncs]

Okay, so the thread title is a bit misleading. But most teams have gone small, and even if they haven't, many of us have been saying what a defensive liability the backup 5 is and will be now and especially come playoff time. We're starting to run Morgan out there, which is great and I hope it continues, and even Royce playing Rudy's role on defense. So that raises a few questions/observations. One is that Royce has been struggling more lately on quicker guards on the perimeter. In some backup lineups, does it make sense to move him up playing the 4/5 while we open up time for Mudiay? Moving Royce up even as a small-ball 5 really opens up our minutes to clear out the guard log-jam and allows us to replace more of Niang's minutes with Mudiay. Mudiay already is a better rebounder, grabbing more per minute and posting a higher rebounding %, which I would honesty expect to go up just by vacuum effect if he were out there as the 3/4 sometimes. His defense is better than Niang and he's a lot stronger. His ability to iso may be more valuable come playoff time.

Overall, I think this can improve defense and have more well-rounded play the more we integrate Mudiay/Morgan and minimize others. This doesn't work against LA. I'm still very much in favor of signing Udoh, but this is a good option using what we have. If we did sign Udoh, then FTW make Mudiay our backup 3/4 and have to take Niang out of rotation.

I'd rather Mudiay get minutes than Niang. Right now Niang is a problem unless he's hitting. And even then I wonder if Mudiay isn't a better option.

 

[Deleted member 848]

I try to avoid strong condemnations of the FO and coaching staff (for no other reason than I just know so little in comparison to them), but I’ll go out in the record and say that if we don’t see some serious experimentation with Morgan and/or Brantley in REAL GAMES, then they’ll have played all of this way too conservatively. Case closed.

and sign Epke ffs.

****ing *thank you*! IT MAKES NO ****ING SENSE!